Basket-style solids interceptor

ABSTRACT

An improved solids interceptor and methods of using the same. The solids interceptor includes a tank having an inlet and at least one outlet, and an access opening on an upper end of the tank. A perforated basket is removably received within the tank via the access opening. When the basket is installed within the tank, wastewater entering the tank via the inlet flows into the basket, with the solid waste being collected in the basket and the liquid waste flowing out of the basket via the perforated screen. The basket and tank include an interlocking flange assembly that automatically axially aligns a basket inlet with an inlet pipe simply by inserting the basket into the tank. The basket is removable from the tank to easily clean out and discard solid waste accumulated in the basket.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to a solids interceptor. Moreparticularly, aspects of the invention relate to a solids interceptorincluding a removable basket for collecting and accumulating solid wasteprovided in wastewater.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Solids interceptors (also known as solids collectors) are used in a widearray of commercial facilities in which solids pose a threat to theproper functioning of the facility's drainage system. These include,among others, laundry facilities, commercial kitchens, pet washingfacilities and kennels, art room sinks at educational institutions,barber shops and hair salons, and food processing facilities.

Generally, solids interceptors are installed along the facility's drainline to separate solid waste from the facility's wastewater before thewastewater is piped to a disposal site such as a septic tank or a sewersystem. The solid waste remains trapped within the interceptor while theliquid waste flows through the interceptor and continues to the disposalsite.

Known solid interceptors may employ a vertical screen or the like placedwithin a tank, which in turn is installed along the drain line of acommercial plumbing system. Solids-laden wastewater enters the tank andis forced through the screen such that the solid waste therein—such as,for example, lint, food waste, hair, plaster, paint, among others—iscaught by the screen and ultimately settles on a bottom of the tank. Theliquid waste that passes through the screen then continues to thedisposal site. Collecting the solid waste in the interceptor preventsclogs and other damage to the facility's drainage system and reduces theamount of solid waste flowing to water treatment facilities.

However, these screens or the like used to separate the solid waste fromthe wastewater are known to become dislodged or damaged, allowing solidsto pass by the screen and thus to the disposal site. This results inclogging or other damage to the drainage system and can lead to solidwaste undesirably settling in a septic tank or entering amunicipalities' water treatment system. Moreover, because by designsolid waste collects and builds up within the tank of the solidsinterceptor, it is necessary to periodically access the tank to removethe solid waste therefrom. Because solid interceptors are ofteninstalled underground, this can be a difficult task that requiresspecialized equipment to vacuum out or otherwise remove the collectedsolids below grade. For example, some solid interceptors include awithdrawal pipe or the like that extends vertically from the bottom oftank to near or above the surface. To remove the solid waste from thetank, a high-powered vacuum is connected to the pipe to draw the solidwaste therethrough. However, the solid waste can be clogged within thewithdrawal pipe itself, requiring further maintenance and repair.Moreover, such systems make visual inspection of the interior of thetank nearly impossible, and thus it is unknown whether all solid wastehas been removed from the tank.

Known interceptors include only one outlet provided near the top of thetank; i.e., provided at the same elevation as the inlet. This results ina large volume of water being retained within the tank because thestatic water level is maintained very near the top of the tank. This isundesirable for applications where large amounts of wastewater will beflushed or drained at once, because the tank does not have much unusedvolume to absorb the deluge of wastewater, causing the drainage systemto back up. In such applications, it would be more desirable for thestatic water level to be near the bottom of the tank such that the tankhas adequate capacity to absorb large amounts of wastewater beingflushed or drained at once. Still more, by only providing a singleoutlet, known solids interceptors are relatively inflexible in thatexisting drain lines may need to be rerouted or otherwise reconfiguredto couple with the fixed inlet and outlet provided on the tank. It wouldthus be more desirable for a solids interceptor to have multiple outletssuch that the appropriate outlet can be selected depending on thedrainage system architecture and specific application.

There is thus a need for an improved solids interceptor that caneffectively separately solids from wastewater in a variety ofapplications and installations. There is a further need for a solidsinterceptor that is easily accessed and emptied as solid waste collectswithin a tank of the solids interceptor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved solidsinterceptor capable of use in a variety of applications andinstallations. Other embodiments of the present invention are directedto an improved solids interceptor that is easily accessible for cleaningout solid waste collected therein. Still other embodiments of thepresent invention are directed to a method of separating solid wastefrom wastewater using such solids interceptors and a method ofinstalling such solid interceptors along a facility's drain line.

More particularly, aspects of the present invention are directed to asolids interceptor for separating solid waste from wastewater. In someembodiments, the solid interceptor includes a tank having an inlet on anupstream end of the tank and an outlet on a downstream end of the tank.The tank includes an access opening on an upper end of the tank, and abasket is removably received within the tank via the access opening. Thebasket includes an upper frame member and an opposing lower framemember, with a perforated screen extending between the upper framemember and the lower frame member. When the basket is installed withinthe tank, wastewater entering the tank via the inlet flows into thebasket, with the solid waste being collected in the basket and theliquid waste flowing out of the basket via the perforated screen. Theliquid waste leaving the basket can then exit the tank via the outlet.In some embodiments, the tank includes an inlet pipe extendingdownstream from the inlet, and the basket further comprises a verticalframe member including a basket inlet. Simply placing the basket withinthe tank axially aligns the basket inlet with inlet pipe. In otherembodiments, the tank includes a second outlet, a sewer gas trap, and awatertight cap, with the sewer gas trap and watertight cap beingremovably coupled to the first and second outlets, respectively.

Other aspects are directed to a method of separating solid waste fromwastewater using such a solids interceptor. The solids interceptor isplaced along a drain line such that wastewater exiting the facility isrouted through the tank and thus the basket, with the solid wasteaccumulating in the basket. In some embodiments, the method includesremoving the basket from the tank to empty accumulated solid wastetherefrom, and then replacing the basket in the tank. In otherembodiments, the method includes removably coupling the sewer gas trapto one of the two outlets while removably coupling the watertight cap tothe other of the two outlets.

Other aspects of the present invention are directed to a method ifinstalling such a solids interceptor along a facility's drain line. Themethod includes fluidly coupling the inlet to a drain pipe leaving afacility, and coupling a selected one of the two outlets to a drain pipeleading to a disposal site. The sewer gas trap is removably coupled tothe selected one of the two outlets while the watertight cap isremovably coupled to the other of the two outlets. In some embodiments,the solids interceptor is buried below grade, and thus a riser iscoupled to an upper end of the tank and extends from the tank to theground level. In other embodiments, a handle is removably coupled to thebasket and may be cut to length such that the handle extends from thebasket and near an open upper end of the riser.

Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be setforth in part in a description which follows, and in part will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the followingor may be learned from practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to theattached drawing figures, in which like numerals represent the samecomponents, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top-right-front perspective view of a solids interceptoraccording to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom-left-rear perspective view of the solids interceptorshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the solids interceptor shown in FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a is an exploded view of the solids interceptor shown in FIGS.1-3, showing a basket and a cover of the solids interceptor removed fromthe tank;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional, perspective view of the solids interceptorshown in FIGS. 1-4, viewed along line 5-5 in FIG. 3, including the fullcover shown in a removed state;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the solids interceptor shown inFIGS. 1-5, viewed along line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional, perspective view of the solids interceptorshown in FIGS. 1-6, viewed along line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is top-left-rear perspective view of the basket of the solidsinterceptor shown in FIGS. 1-7, shown with the ribs and shouldersremoved therefrom;

FIG. 9 is a is a top-left-front perspective view of the solidsinterceptor shown in FIGS. 1-8, shown with various portions of thesolids interceptor cutaway and with the basket in a partially removedstate;

FIG. 10 is a is a top-left-front perspective view of the solidsinterceptor shown in FIGS. 1-9, shown with various portions of thesolids interceptor cutaway and with the basket in a fully installedstate;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the solids interceptor shown inFIGS. 1-10, viewed along line 11-11 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the solids interceptor shown inFIGS. 1-11, viewed along line 12-12 in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the instant invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying figures. FIGS. 1-12 show a solidsinterceptor 10 according to aspects of the invention. The solidsinterceptor 10 generally includes a tank 12 having an inlet 14 on anupstream end thereof and an upper outlet 16 and lower outlet 18 on adownstream end of the tank 12. As used throughout this description,“upstream” and “downstream” refer to the general flow of wastewaterthrough the solids interceptor 10, which enters through inlet 14 andexits through one of outlets 16, 18 (which will be discussed in moredetail). The “downstream” or “axially” direction, in turn, refers to ahorizontal direction generally extending from the inlet 14 to the upperoutlet 16, with the “lateral” direction being a horizontal directionperpendicular to the downstream direction.

The tank 12 may be constructed of any suitable material, and in someembodiments is constructed of ⅜-inch thick seamless polyethylene. Theinlet 14 and outlets 16, 18 may be sized according specific drain linerequirements, and in some embodiments may be schedule 40 plain end pipehaving a diameter between 1 inch and 8 inches, and more preferablybetween 2 inches and 6 inches. In some embodiments, the inlet 14 andoutlets 16, 18 may be 2-inch schedule 40 plain end pipe, in otherembodiments may be 3-inch schedule 40 plain end pipe, in otherembodiments may be 4-inch schedule 40 plain end pipe, and in still otherembodiments may by 6-inch schedule 40 plain end pipe.

An access opening 24 is provided on an upper end of the tank 12 throughwhich a perforated basket 20 is inserted and removed during cleaning andmaintenance (FIG. 4). A cover 22 seals the access opening 24 by couplingto a cover adapter 36 disposed about the periphery of the access opening24. In some embodiments, the cover 22 may be fixed by aligning aplurality (e.g., four) through-holes provided on the cover 22 with acorresponding plurality of tapped holes provided on the cover adapter36, and secured via a plurality (e.g., four) threaded fasteners 23extending through the through-holes and into the tapped holes.

During use, the solids interceptor 10 may be installed several feetbelow grade. In such embodiments, the solids interceptor 10 includes ariser 37 extending between a top of the tank and the cover 22 such thatthe access opening 24 and the cover 22 are located at or near grade toprovide easy access to an interior of the solids interceptor 10. In suchembodiments, the solids interceptor 10 may include a handle 46 extendingvertically from an upper end of the basket 20 (and more particularly, acenter support 21 of the basket 20, which will be discussed below) to alocation proximate the access opening 24 and cover 22. In this regard, auser accessing the solids interceptor 10 at grade level can remove thecover 22 and access the basket 20 via the handle 46.

At a high level, the solids interceptor 10 is installed along awastewater drain line to remove solid waste contained in wastewater. Thesolids interceptor 10 may be used in a facility that includessolid-laden wastewater such as, e.g., a laundry facility, a commercialkitchen, a pet wash or kennel, an art room sink, a barber shop or hairsalon, or a food processing facility. The solids interceptor 10 may beplaced on the ground (such as, e.g., on a basement floor of thefacility) or may be buried below grade. A drain line from the facilityis connected to the inlet 14 of the solids interceptor, and to one ofthe outlets 16 and 18 is connected a pipe that continues to a septictank, sewer system, or other disposal site. Whichever outlet 16, 18 isused may optionally be outfitted with the sewer gas trap 26 to preventsewer gasses from entering the facility. The unused outlet 16, 18 issealed with a watertight cap 28. As solids-laden wastewater leaves thefacility via the drain pipe, it enters the tank 12 and flows into thebasket 20. The basket 20 filters the wastewater thus collecting thesolid waste therefrom, while permitting liquid waste to flow through thebasket 20's perforated sides and ultimately out of the tank 12 via oneof the outlets 16, 18, where it is then piped to a disposal site. Thebasket 20 is periodically accessed and removed from the tank 12 viaaccess opening 24 to remove and discard the solid waste collectedtherein.

The solids interceptor 10 can be sized according to space constraints,required drainage capacity, and/or overhead load capacity, among otherconsiderations. For example, a length of the solids interceptor 10—i.e.,a dimension of the solids interceptor 10 in the downstream direction—maybe between 15 inches and 60 inches, and more preferably between 25inches and 46 inches. In some embodiments, the length of the solidsinterceptor 10 is 25 inches, 33 inches, 37 inches, or 46 inches. A widthof the solids interceptor—i.e., a dimension of the solids interceptor 10in a lateral direction perpendicular to the downstream direction—may bebetween 10 inches 50 inches, and more preferably between 19 inches and32 inches. In some embodiments, the width of the solids interceptor 10is 19 inches, 25 inches, 28 inches, or 32 inches. A height of the solidsinterceptor may be between 10 and 50 inches, and more preferably between14¼ inches and 38½ inches. In some embodiments, the height of the solidsinterceptor 10 is 14¼ inches, 25 inches, 28½ inches, or 38½ inches.

A diameter of the cover 22 of the solids interceptor 10 may be between10 inches and 30 inches, and more preferably between 16 inches and 24½inches. In some embodiments, the diameter of the cover 22 is 16 inches,and in other embodiments the diameter of the cover is 24½ inches. Thecover may be constructed to withstand an overhead load of between 300pounds and 20,000 pounds, and more preferably between 450 pounds and16,000 pounds. For example, a 16-inch cover may result in a cover loadcapacity of 450 pounds to 2,500 pounds, while a 24½-inch cover mayresult in a cover load capacity of 2,000 pounds to 16,000 pounds.

Turning now to FIGS. 4-12, the internal structure of the solidsinterceptor 10 and the basket 20 will be described in more detail. Thebasket 20 includes an upright frame 48 comprising a top frame member 52,an opposing bottom frame member 54, a vertical frame member 56, and aperforated screen 50. The bottom frame member 54 is generally solid and,when the basket 20 is fully installed within the tank 12, the bottomframe member 54 rests upon a seat 60 provided at a bottom of the tank12. The top frame member 52 includes one or more openings 58 providingaccess to an interior of the basket 20 during cleaning. The perforatedscreen 50 and the vertical frame member 56 extend between the opposingupper frame member 52 and lower frame member 54, and form theperipheral, upstanding walls of the basket 20. The perforated screen 50extends around a majority of the periphery of the basket 20. Forexample, in some embodiments the perforated screen 50 extends aroundapproximately 75% of the periphery of the basket 20. More particularly,in some embodiments the basket has a generally square-shaped footprint,and the perforated screen extends along three of the four edges of thesquare-shaped footprint including the two lateral edges and thedownstream edge of the square-shaped footprint.

On an upstream end of the basket 20, the vertical frame member 56extends between an upstream end of the top frame member 52 and anupstream end of the bottom frame member 54. The vertical frame member 56is generally solid except for a basket inlet 40, which is a circularopening disposed proximate an upper end of the vertical frame member 56.The basket inlet 40 allows for wastewater carrying solid waste to enterthe basket 20 during use.

The perforated screen 50 includes a plurality of perforations sized suchthat liquid waste can freely flow through the perforations while solidwaste remains trapped in the basket. For example, in some embodimentsthe perforated screen 50 is constructed from a corrosive-resistantmaterial and comprises 0.1-inch×0.08-inch perforations. Because thecumulative cross-sectional area of the perforations provided on theperforated screen 50 is much larger than the cross-sectional area of thebasket inlet 40 (for example, in some embodiments the cumulativecross-sectional area of the perforations on the perforated screen 50 isat least nine times greater than the cross-sectional area of the basketinlet 40) liquid waste can easily flow out of the basket 20 even in thepresence of collected solid waste therein, reducing the likelihood of abackup.

The vertical frame member 56 also includes a first vertical rib 42 and asecond vertical rib 44 that, along with an annular flange 30 provided ata downstream end of an inlet pipe 34, form an interlocking flangeassembly. The ribs 42, 44 are laterally spaced from one another with thebasket inlet 40 disposed therebetween, and the ribs 42, 44 run parallelto one another along at least the majority of the height of the verticalframe member 56. The ribs 42, 44 are ramped or flared such that, whenthe basket 20 is fully installed within the tanks 12, the lowermost endof each rib 42, 44 extends further upstream than an uppermost end ofeach rib 42, 44.

As best seen in FIGS. 8-10 and 12, each rib 42, 44 includes a shoulder43, 45 extending along the upstream edges of the respective rib 42, 44.Each shoulder 43, 45 protrudes from the respective rib 42, 44 towardsthe other rib thereby forming an overhang. For example, the shoulder 43protrudes from rib 42 towards rib 44 such that the shoulder 43 overhangsrib 42 on the side of the rib 42 facing the basket inlet 40, leaving avoid between the shoulder 43 and the vertical frame member 56.Similarly, the shoulder 45 protrudes from rib 44 towards rib 42 suchthat the shoulder 45 overhangs rib 44 on the side of the rib 44 facingthe basket inlet 40, leaving a void between the shoulder 45 and thevertical frame member 56. Because the ribs 42, 44 are ramped or flaredat the bottom thereof, the spacing or void between the shoulders 43, 45and the vertical frame member 56 is greatest and the lowermost end ofthe ribs 42, 44, and gradually decreases in the vertical direction suchthat the spacing or void between the shoulders 43, 45 and the verticalframe member 56 is the smallest and the uppermost end of the ribs 42,44.

Together, the vertical frame member 56, ribs 42, 44, and shoulders 43,45 define a channel 41 configured to slidably receive the annular flange30 as the basket 20 is removed from the tanks 12 and installed into thetank 12. The annular flange 30 is affixed to a downstream of the inletpipe 34, which in turn is supported by and held in place by a gusset 32.The thickness of the flange 30 is approximately equal to the depth ofthe void between the shoulders 43, 45 and the vertical frame member 56at the narrowest point thereof (i.e., proximate the uppermost end of theribs 42, 44).

During installation of the basket 20 into the tank 12 as the basket 20is moving in a generally downward direction, the flange 30 slides withinthe channel 41—that is, between the rib 42 and rib 44 in the lateraldirection, and between the shoulders 43, 45 and the vertical guidemember 56 in the downstream direction—until the basket 20 engages a seat60 disposed on the floor of the tank 12 and thus comes to rest. Once thebasket is resting on the seat 60, the inlet pipe 34 is axially alignedwith the basket inlet 40, with the flange 30 surrounding the peripheryof the basket inlet 40. At this position, and as best seen in FIG. 12,the annular flange 30 is held firmly in place against the vertical framemember 56 by the shoulders 43, 45, while being held firmly in place inthe lateral direction by the ribs 42, 44.

Moreover, because of the ramp or flared bottom ends of the ribs 42, 44,the channel 41 is deepest at the lowermost end of the ribs 42, 44 andnarrowest at the uppermost ends thereof. Thus, the flange 30 easilyslides along the channel 41 as the basket 20 first enters the tank andthe ribs 42, 44 and shoulders 43, 45 first encounter the flange 30. Butthe flange 30 meets more resistance as the basket 20 is continuallylowered with the flange 30 thus approaching the uppermost end of theribs 42, 44. At this point, due to the relatively narrow thickness ofthe channel 41 in the downstream direction, the flange 30 is snugly heldin place between the shoulders 43, 45 and the vertical frame member 56,while being snugly held in the lateral direction by the ribs 42, 44(FIG. 12). In this position the inlet pipe 34 is axially aligned withthe basket inlet 40, creating an unobstructed passageway for wastewaterto enter the basket 40. In this regard, simply by inserting the basket20 into the tank 12, the basket 20 becomes “hard-piped” to the inletpipe 34. Wastewater entering the solids interceptor via inlet 14 andinlet pipe 34 thus enters the basket 20 (via basket inlet 40) and doesnot escape around the flange 30. In other words, all or substantiallyall the wastewater entering the tank 12 of solids interceptor 10 viainlet 14 in turn enters the basket 20. Similarly, once the solid wasteis collected in the basket 20, the interlocking flange assembly ensuresthat the solid waste accumulated within the basket 20 cannot otherwiseescape to out of the basket 20 and settle on the floor of the tank 12.

In some embodiments the geometry of the frame 48 physically permits thebasket 20 to be installed in the tank 12 only in one direction—i.e.,when the vertical frame member 56 is facing the upstream end of the tank12. More particularly, the lower frame member 54 has a generallycircular outer periphery except for a portion of the lower frame member54 abutting the vertical frame member 56. This portion of the lowerframe member 54 is truncated to form the lowermost opening of thechannel 41. In this regard, if the basket 20 is placed within the tank12 in an incorrect orientation, the lower frame member 54—and moreparticularly, the arcuate portions 55 of the lower frame member 54extending outwardly from the vertical side walls formed by theperforated screen 50 (FIG. 12)—will contact the inlet pipe 34 and/orflange 30 connected thereto, and thus the basket 20 will not fullyinsert in the tank 12. Only by turning the basket 20 so that the basket20 is in the appropriate configuration (i.e., such that the verticalframe member 56 is facing the upstream end of the tank 12) will thebasket 20 fully insert into the tank 12 with the flange 30 beingslidably received within the channel 41. Thus, if a user inadvertentlyattempts to install the basket 20 in an incorrect orientation (i.e.,such that the vertical frame member 56 does not face the upstream end ofthe tank), the basket 20 will not fully insert into the tank 12 becausethe bottom frame member 54 will contact the inlet pipe 34 and/or flange30, alerting the user that the basket 20 is improperly configured. Byonly physically permitting the basket 20 to be installed in the correctorientation, the frame 48 prevents the basket 20 from being placedwithin the tank 12 in an incorrect orientation that would otherwiseresult in the inlet pipe 34 and basket inlet 40 not being axiallyaligned and thus the wastewater not properly flowing through the basket20.

Wastewater exits the tank 12 via the upper or lower outlet 16, 18. Inthe depicted embodiment, the lower outlet 18 is not being used as awastewater outlet, and thus a watertight cap 28 is placed on the loweroutlet 18. The upper outlet 16, which is being used as a wastewateroutlet, is optionally fitted with a sewer gas trap 26 that permitsliquid waste to flow out of the tank 12 while prohibiting sewer gas frombackflowing into the tank 12 (and ultimately the facility). Moreparticularly, the sewer gas trap 26 is an elbow with an inlet thereofextending below a static water line (which will be discussed more fullybelow). This in turn provides a water seal at the inlet of the sewer gastrap 26, which is a column of water provided between the submerged inletto the sewer gas trap 26 and the static water line. In some embodiments,a 2-inch column of water is formed at the sewer gas trap 26, prohibitingsewer gases from entering the tank 12 through the outlet 16, 18. Thesewer gas trap 26 and watertight cap 28 are interchangeable such that,when the lower outlet 18 is used rather than upper outlet 16, the cap 28is placed on the upper outlet 16 and the sewer gas trap 26 is placed onthe lower outlet 18.

As should be appreciated, when the cap 28 is placed on the lower outlet18 and the sewer gas trap 26 is placed on the upper outlet 16, the tank12 will have a relatively high static water line. Conversely, when thecap 28 is placed on the upper outlet 16 and the sewer gas trap 26 isplaced on the lower outlet 18, the tank 12 will have a relatively lowstatic water line. “Static water line” refers to the level at whichwater will remain standing within the tank 12 even when no wastewater isactively flowing therethrough. As best seen in FIG. 6, when using theupper outlet 16, water will begin to flow out of the tank 12 once thewater level in the tank 12 reaches the lowest portion of the outlet 16.This results in a relatively high static water line 62. In contrast,when using the lower outlet 16, water will begin to flow out of the tank12 much sooner: once the water reaches the lowest portion of the outlet18. This results in a relatively low static water line 64.

In some embodiments, the high static water line 62 may be between 5inches and 30 inches from the bottom of the tank 12, and more preferablybetween 8¾ inches and 23¾ inches from the bottom of the tank 12. In someembodiments, the low static water line 64 may be between 1 inch and 10inches from the bottom of the tank 12, and more preferably between 2⅞inches and 7¾ inches from the bottom of the tank 12.

For example, in one embodiment the tank 12 is 25 inches long and 19inches wide, the upper outlet 16 is a 2-inch schedule 40 pipe having acenterline 10 inches from the bottom of the tank 12, and the loweroutlet 18 is 2-inch schedule 40 pipe having a centerline 4 inches fromthe bottom of the tank 12. This results in a high static water line 62of 8¾ inches equating to approximately 15 gallons of standing water, anda low static water line 64 of 2⅞ inches equating to approximately 4gallons of standing water. In another embodiment, the tank 12 is 33inches long and 25 inches wide, the upper outlet 16 is a 3-inch schedule40 pipe having a centerline 15 inches from the bottom of the tank 12,and the lower outlet 18 is 3-inch schedule 40 pipe having a centerline 6inches from the bottom of the tank 12. This results in a high staticwater line 62 of 13¼ inches equating to approximately 35 gallons ofstanding water, and a low static water line 64 of 4¼ inches equating toapproximately 12 gallons of standing water. In another embodiment, thetank 12 is 37 inches long and 28 inches wide, the upper outlet 16 is a4-inch schedule 40 pipe having a centerline 18 inches from the bottom ofthe tank 12, and the lower outlet 18 is a 4-inch schedule 40 pipe havinga centerline 6½ inches from the bottom of the tank 12. This results in ahigh static water line 62 of 15¾ inches equating to approximately 52gallons of standing water, and a low static water line 64 of 4¼ inchesequating to approximately 14 gallons of standing water. And in stillanother embodiment, the tank 12 is 46 inches long and 32 inches wide,the upper outlet 16 is a 4-inch schedule 40 pipe having a centerline 26inches from the bottom of the tank 12, and the lower outlet 18 is 4-inchschedule 40 pipe having a centerline 10 inches from the bottom of thetank 12. This results in a high static water line 62 of 23¾ inchesequating to approximately 110 gallons of standing water, and a lowstatic water line 64 of 7¾ inches equating to approximately 30 gallonsof standing water.

In some embodiments, the basket includes a handle 46 detachably fixedthereto. In many installations, the solids interceptor 10 may beinstalled below grade, such as, for example, six feet below ground. Insuch installations, it may be difficult to otherwise reach the basket 20installed within tank 12. Thus, for such embodiments a T-shaped handle46 is detachably affixed to an upper portion of the basket 20, whichenables a user to easily remove and replace the basket 20notwithstanding the deeply buried tank 12.

The handle 46 is detachably affixed to the upper end of the basket20—and more particularly to a center support 21 disposed in a center ofthe basket 20 (FIGS. 6, 10-12)—via a lock pin 47. In such embodiments, ariser 37 is affixed to the top of the tank 12, with the cover adapter 36and cover 22 attached to the top of the riser 37, near grade. Duringmaintenance (i.e., when removing the basket 20 to clean the contentstherefrom), the cover 22 can be removed at grade level, and the T-shapedportion of the handle 46 will be just below the exposed access opening24. The user can thus grasp the handle 46 and lift, which in turnremoves the basket 20 from the interior of the tank 12. Once the basket20 is brought above grade, the handle 46 can be detached from the basket20 by removing the pin 47 and sliding the handle 46 off the centersupport 21 and away from the basket 20. This allows for the basket 20 tobe easily emptied by dumping the contents of the basket 20 into a trashcan without interference by the handle 46.

Once all solid waste has been removed from the basket 20, the handle 46(if equipped) is slid back onto the center support 21 of the basket 20such that through-holes within the lower portion of the handle 46 alignwith through-holes provided in the center support 21. The locking pin 47is then placed through the through-holes, thus removably coupling thehandle 46 to the basket 20. The basket 20 in then reinstalled in thetank 12 simply by lowering the basket 20 into the tank 12 via the accessopening 24. As discussed, this simple act of lowering the basket 20 intothe tank 12 “hard-pipes” the basket 20 to the inlet pipe 34 via theinterlocking coupling formed by the flange 30, vertical frame member 56,ribs 42, 44, and shoulders 43, 45. More particularly, the basket 20 islowered into the tank 12 such that the vertical frame member 56 and ribs42, 44 face the inlet pipe 34 and flange 30. As the basket 20 islowered, the annular flange 30 is slidably received with the channel 41.Once the basket 20 is lowered all the way into the tank 12 and isresting on seat 60, the flange 30 will in turn be snugly receivedbetween the shoulders 43, 45 and the vertical frame member 56 in thedownstream direction and between the ribs 42, 44 in the lateraldirection, with the inlet pipe 34 being axially aligned with the basketinlet 40.

In use, solids-laden wastewater from the facility will flow through themain drain line and into the tank 12 via inlet 14. The solids-ladenwastewater then passes through the inlet pipe 34 and through the basketinlet 40, into an interior of the basket 20. Here, the solid wastecontained in the wastewater will become trapped while the liquid wastewill pass through the perforated screen 50 and ultimately exit the tank12 via the outlet 16 or 18 and continue to a septic tank, sewer system,or the like.

Because the solid waste contained within the wastewater becomes trappedwithin the interior of the basket 20, the basket 20 will eventually fillwith solid waste. In some embodiments, the basket 20 is configured tohold between 1 gallon and 15 gallons of solid waste, and more preferablybetween 2 gallons and 10 gallons of solid waste. In some embodiments,the basket 20 is sized and configured to hold 2 gallons of solid waste,in other embodiments the basket 20 is sized and configured to hold 6gallons of solid waste, in other embodiments the basket 20 is sized andconfigured to hold 8 gallons of solid waste, and in still otherembodiments the basket 20 is sized and configured to hold 10 gallons ofsolid waste. When the accumulated solid waste is nearing the capacity ofthe basket 20, the basket 20 is removed from the tank 12 and emptied. Auser may do so my removing the cover 22 (by, e.g., removing theplurality of threaded fasteners and lifting) and then lifting the basket20 out of the tank 12 via the access opening 24. When the solidsinterceptor 10 is installed above or near grade, the user may simplygrasp the top frame member 52 and lift. But when the solids interceptoris installed further below grade, the top frame member 52 may notreadily accessible and the handle 46 may be used. In such embodiments,the user grasps the handle 46 (the T-junction of which is disposed verynear the cover adapter 36) and pulls up.

Either way, pulling up on the basket 20 unseats the annular flange 30from the channel 41 where it was held snugly around the basket inlet 40.The basket 20 is then lifted out of the tank 12 and the solid wasteinside can be discarded. If equipped, the handle 46 can be detached fromthe basket 20 (by first removing the pin 47 and then sliding the handle46 away from the center support 21) to ease cleaning out the basket 20.

Once the solid waste is removed, the handle 46 is reinstalled (ifequipped) by sliding the handle 46 onto the center support 21 of thebasket 20 and replacing the pin 47. The basket 20 is reinserted into thetank 12 as described above. The cover 22 is then placed over the accessopening 24 and secured to the cover adapter 36 via threaded fasteners orthe like.

A method of installing the solids interceptors 10 will now be discussedin detail. The solids interceptor 10 is installed along a facility'sdrainage system such as along a utility sink's drain line where solidsare regularly disposed, or along the main drain line of a commercialfacility. To install the solids interceptor 10, the drain line is firstaccessed, which may or may not be located below grade. The solidsinterceptor 10 is in turn placed in line with the drain line such thatwastewater will flow through the tank 12 of solids interceptor 10.Optionally, once in place (i.e., either sitting on the ground or whenplaced below grade) the solids interceptor 10 can be anchored in placevia one or more anchor tie-down points 38. A steel anchor or the likeattaches to the anchor tie-down point 38 as well as to the ground tokeep the solids interceptor 10 squarely in place notwithstanding surgesof water flowing into the tank 12.

The drain line exiting the facility is coupled to the upstream end ofthe solids interceptor 10 and, more particularly, to the inlet 14 of thetank 12. The drain line is coupled to the inlet 14 using any well-knowntechnique in the art. A pipe leading to a disposal site—such as, e.g., aseptic tank, sewer system, a wastewater treatment facility, or otherdisposal site—is coupled to one of the outlets 16, 18.

The appropriate outlet 16, 18 is chosen based on the architecture of thedrainage system and/or based on the specific application of the solidsinterceptor 10. In embodiments where a drain pipe leading from afacility and a pipe leading to the disposal site are already in placeand provided generally at a same vertical elevation, outlet 16 may beused, which is roughly at the same vertical elevation as the inlet 14.In such embodiments, the solids interceptor 10 may simply be patchedinto an existing, generally horizontal drain line by removing a sectionof pipe approximately the length of the solids interceptor 10 and thencoupling the inlet 14 and outlet 16 to the exposed open ends of thedrain line using conventional means. In this embodiment, it may bedesirable for the inlet 14 and outlet of the solids interceptor 10 to beat the same general vertical elevation, and thus outlet 16 can be used.

However, in other embodiments it may be beneficial to use the loweroutlet 18 to achieve a lower static water line within the tank 12, suchas static water line 62 shown in FIG. 6. More particularly, forfacilities where there may be a periodic surge of wastewater, it may bedesirable to use the lower outlet 18. The lower static water line 64provided by the lower outlet 18 provides the tank 12 with a largerunused volume, which in turn can absorb a surge of water without anywastewater backing up into the drain line. For example, laundryfacilities may have periodic surges of large volumes of water due towashing machines draining at the end of a wash cycle. In suchapplications, the lower outlet 18 may be utilized to lower the staticwater line and in turn increase the unused static volume of the tank 12.In other embodiments, it may be desirable to have low amounts ofstanding water within the tank 12 to easily perform maintenance withinan interior of the tank 12. For such embodiments, the lower outlet 18 ischosen resulting in a low static water line 62 and minimal standingwater.

Once the appropriate outlet 16, 18 is chosen for the particular drainagesystem architecture and/or the particular application, the watertightcap 28 is coupled to the unused outlet to prevent water from leaving theunused outlet. In some embodiments, the watertight cap 28 may bethreaded onto the unused outlet. The used outlet—i.e., the outletcoupled to the pipe leading to a septic or sewer system—is fitted with asewer gas trap 26. The sewer gas trap 26 may similarly be threaded ontothe used outlet.

The solids interceptor 10 may be provided from the factory in a defaultsetup, such as with the sewer gas trap 26 provided on the upper outlet16 and the watertight cap 28 provided on the lower outlet 18. In suchembodiments, if the upper outlet 16 is in turn coupled to the pipeleading to the disposal site, no further actions are necessary becausethe trap 26 and cap 28 are already properly configured. However, if thelower outlet 18 is to be used, the trap 26 and cap 28 may be switched bysimply unthreading the trap 26 and cap 28 from the outlets 16 and 18,respectively, and then threading the cap 28 on the outlet 16 and thetrap 26 on outlet 18.

If necessary, a riser 37 can be installed on the top of the solidsinterceptor 10, extending the access opening 24 vertically to grade. Asdiscussed, the riser 37 allows for easier access to the interior of thesolids interceptor 10 because the cover adapter 36 and cover 22 will inturn be at the grade level. Although the riser 37 depicted in thefigures is relatively short, in other embodiments the riser can extendvertically several feet. For example, in some embodiments the riser 37may be between 1 inch and 90 inches, and more preferably between 2⅛inches and 72 inches. During installation, the riser 37 may be cut tothe desired depth and coupled to the solids interceptor 10 usingconventional means. The cover adapter 36 is then coupled to the openupper end of the riser 37, with the cover 22 thereafter attached to thecover adapter 36 using, e.g., threaded fasteners 23 or the like.

For embodiments employing the handle 46, the handle 46 may beappropriately selected and/or sized during installation. For example, auser may be provided with a plurality of handle 46 lengths, and in turnselects the handle 46 most appropriately configured for the depth of thesolids interceptor 10 below grade and/or the chosen length of the riser37. In other embodiments, a user can simply cut a piece of pipe or thelike (such as, e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe) to a desired length,and then couple the T-junction of the handle 46 to a proximal end of thecut-to-length pipe using conventional means, and drill through-holes inthe distal end, which will in turn receive the pin 47. The cut-to-lengthhandle 46 is then removably affixed to the center support 21 of thebasket 20 via the pin 47, as discussed.

Finally, the basket 20—and handle 46 attached thereto, if equipped—islowered into the tank 12 via the access opening 24, which in turn restson seat 60 and slidably receives the annular flange 30 in channel 41 andthus axially aligns the inlet pipe 34 with the basket inlet 40, asdiscussed. This routes wastewater traveling through the drain line andentering the solids interceptor 10 into an interior of the basket 20,with the solid waste in turn being separated from the liquid waste, asdiscussed. The cover 22 is then placed over the access opening 24 and,optionally, secured to the cover adapter 36 using, e.g., a plurality ofthreaded fasteners.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, togetherwith other advantages which are obvious and inherent to the system andmethod. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinationsare of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and within the scope ofthe claims.

We claim:
 1. A solids interceptor for separating solid waste fromwastewater, the solids interceptor comprising: a tank including: aninlet provided on an upstream end of the tank; a first outlet providedon a downstream end of the tank; and an access opening provided on anupper end of the tank; and a basket removably received within the tankvia the access opening, the basket including: an upper frame member andan opposing lower frame member; and a perforated screen extendingbetween the upper frame member and the lower frame member; wherein, whenthe basket is removably received within the tank, the basket isconfigured to receive wastewater flowing into the tank via the inlet andseparate solid waste therefrom, and to permit liquid waste to exit thebasket via the perforated screen and continue to the first outlet. 2.The solids interceptor of claim 1, wherein the tank further comprises aninlet pipe extending downstream from the inlet, and wherein the basketfurther comprises a vertical frame member extending between an upstreamend of the top frame member and an upstream end of the bottom framemember, the vertical frame member facing the upstream end of the tankwhen the basket is removably received within the tank.
 3. The solidsinterceptor of claim 2, wherein the vertical frame member includes abasket inlet, and wherein the basket inlet is axially aligned with theinlet pipe when the basket is removably received within the tank.
 4. Thesolids interceptor of claim 3, wherein the inlet pipe includes anannular flange disposed at a downstream end of the inlet pipe, andwherein, when the basket is removably received within the tank, theannular flange abuts the vertical frame member and surrounds the basketinlet.
 5. The solids interceptor of claim 4, wherein the vertical framemember includes a first rib and a second rib, the first and second ribbeing parallel to one another with the basket inlet providedtherebetween, and wherein, when the basket is removably received withthe tank, the annular flange is held between the first rib and thesecond rib.
 6. The solids interceptor of claim 5, wherein the verticalframe member includes a first shoulder and a second shoulder, the firstand second shoulder being disposed on an upstream edge of the first andsecond rib, respectively, each overhanging the respective rib forming aspacing between the respective shoulder and the vertical frame member,wherein, when the basket is removably received within the tank, theannular flange is held between the first and second shoulders and thevertical frame member.
 7. The solids interceptor of claim 1, wherein thetank includes a second outlet, a sewer gas trap, and a watertight cap,wherein the sewer gas trap is removably coupled to the first outlet, andwherein the watertight cap is removably coupled to the second outlet. 8.A method of separating solid waste from the wastewater, the methodcomprising: providing a solids interceptor along a drain line configuredto carry wastewater, the solids interceptor comprising: a tank includingan inlet provided on an upstream end of the tank, a first outletprovided on a downstream end of the tank, and an access opening providedon an upper end of the tank; and a basket removably received within thetank via the access opening, the basket including an upper frame member,an opposing lower frame member, and a perforated screen extendingbetween the upper frame member and the lower frame member; andseparating solid waste from the wastewater by draining the wastewaterinto the tank and the basket via the inlet, and collecting the solidwaste in the basket by running the wastewater through the perforatedscreen thereby permitting only liquid waste to continue to the firstoutlet.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tank further comprises aninlet pipe extending downstream from the inlet, and wherein the basketfurther comprises a vertical frame member extending between an upstreamend of the top frame member and an upstream end of the bottom framemember and including a basket inlet, the method further comprisingaligning the basket with the inlet pipe by inserting the basket into thetank via the access opening with the vertical frame member facing theupstream end of the tank, wherein inserting the basket into the tankcauses the inlet pipe and the basket opening to axially align.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the inlet pipe includes an annular flangedisposed at a downstream end of the inlet pipe, wherein the verticalframe member includes a first rib and a second rib, the first and secondrib being parallel to one another with the basket inlet providedtherebetween, and wherein axially aligning the inlet pipe with thebasket inlet includes placing the basket such that the annular flangeabuts the vertical frame member and surrounds the basket inlet and suchthat the annular flange is held between the first rib and the secondrib.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vertical frame memberincludes a first shoulder and a second shoulder, the first and secondshoulder being disposed on an upstream edge of the first and second rib,respectively, each overhanging the respective rib forming a spacingbetween the respective shoulder and the vertical frame member, andwherein axially aligning the inlet pipe with the basket inlet includesplacing the annular flange so that it is held between the first andsecond shoulders and the vertical frame member.
 12. The method of claim8 further comprising: removing the basket from the tank via the accessopening; emptying accumulated solid waste from basket; and replacing thebasket in the tank via the access opening.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the basket includes a handle removably coupled to an upper endof the basket, the method further comprising: detaching the handle fromthe basket prior to emptying the accumulated solid waste from basket;and attaching the handle to the basket prior to replacing the basket inthe tank.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the tank includes a secondoutlet, a sewer gas trap, and a watertight cap, the method furthercomprising: removably coupling the sewer gas trap to the first outlet;and removably coupling the watertight cap to the second outlet.
 15. Amethod of installing a solids interceptor used to separate solid wastefrom wastewater, the method comprising: providing a solids interceptorcomprising: a tank including an inlet provided on an upstream end of thetank, an inlet pipe extending downstream of the inlet, a first outletprovided on a downstream end of the tank, and an access opening providedon an upper end of the tank; and a basket removably received within thetank via the access opening, the basket including an upper frame member,an opposing lower frame member, a vertical frame member extendingbetween an upstream end of the upper frame member and an upstream end ofthe lower frame member, the vertical frame member including a basketinlet, and a perforated screen extending between the upper frame memberand the lower frame member; fluidly coupling the solids interceptor to adrain line by coupling a first pipe of the drain line to the inlet ofthe tank, the first pipe being a pipe configured to drain wastewaterfrom a facility; and placing the basket within the tank through theaccess opening such that the vertical frame member faces the inlet pipeand such that the basket inlet is axially aligned with the inlet pipe.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tank further comprises a secondoutlet provided on the downstream end of the tank below the firstoutlet, the method further comprising: selecting one of the first outletand the second outlet for piping liquid waste to a disposal site;removably coupling a sewer gas trap to the selected one of the firstoutlet and the second outlet; removably coupling a watertight cap to thenon-selected one of the first outlet and the second outlet; and couplinga second pipe of the drain line to the selected one of the first outletand the second outlet, the second pipe configured to carry liquid wasteto the disposal site.
 17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:burying the solids interceptor below grade; and coupling a riser to atop of the tank, the riser extending from the tank to grade.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the basket further comprises a centersupport, the method further comprising removably attaching a handle tothe center support with a removable pin.
 19. The method of claim 18further comprising cutting the handle to length so that, when the handleis removably coupled to the center support and the basket is placedwithin the tank, a top of the handle is proximate an opening at an upperend of the riser.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprisingremovably securing a cover to the opening at the upper end of the riser.